Treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: Guidelines from the Committee of Female Urology (CUROPF) of the French Association of Urology (AFU)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a complex chronic condition requiring a multimodal and individualized management approach. This article presents current treatment recommendations for IC/BPS, covering the full therapeutic spectrum from lifestyle and dietary measures to last-resort surgical options. Behavioral interventions, patient education, pelvic floor physical therapy, and psychological support form the cornerstone of first-line management. When these measures prove insufficient, pharmacological treatments - including conventional and atypical analgesics, as well as systemic oral therapies such as pentosan polysulfate sodium - along with intravesical instillations of glycosaminoglycans or dimethyl sulfoxide, may be considered. Interventional techniques, including hydrodistension, intravesical injections of onabotulinumtoxinA, and sacral neuromodulation, represent effective options for refractory patients. Excisional surgery and urinary diversion remain reserved for a carefully selected subgroup of patients presenting with severe, documented bladder-centric disease. Rigorous phenotypic patient selection is the cornerstone of all therapeutic decisions and the principal determinant of prognosis.
Source: The French Journal of Urology
Authors: François Meyer, Caroline Brandon, Christian Saussine, Shahed Borojeni, Pierre-Olivier Bosset, Sandrine Campagne-Loiseau, Jean-Nicolas Cornu, Laurence Donon, Lucie Even, Marie Florin, François Hervé, Sophie Hurel, Julia Klap, Marie-Aimée Perrouin-Verbe, Caroline Plassais, Claire Richard, Adrien Vidart, Souhil Lebdai, Amélie Levesque, Caroline Thuillier, Benoît Peyronnet
Institutions: Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Ramsay Santé Hôpital privé des Peupliers, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Hôpital Foch, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, Hôpital Tenon, Ghent University Hospital, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Université de Rennes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Inserm, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $1,910
OpenAlex ID: W7170169609